₦airaland Forum

A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos on Friday awarded N30 million in damages to activist and former presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore, over his unlawful declaration as a wanted person by the Nigeria Police Force.

In a ruling delivered by Justice M. Kakaki, the court faulted the actions of the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Moshood Jimoh, and the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, describing their conduct as unconstitutional and a clear breach of Sowore’s fundamental rights.

The suit arose from developments in late 2025, when the Lagos police leadership reportedly warned Sowore on October 27 to stay away from the state and subsequently declared him wanted on November 3.

Sowore challenged the actions, arguing that they lacked legal backing and violated constitutional protections.

In a judgment that spanned over an hour, the court held that the police acted arbitrarily and outside the scope of their lawful authority.

Justice Kakaki ruled that the directive barring Sowore from Lagos had no constitutional foundation and that declaring him wanted without a valid court order amounted to an abuse of power.

The court stressed that no individual can lawfully be declared wanted without adherence to due process, including the issuance of a court warrant and proof that the person is evading legitimate legal proceedings.

It added that the actions of the police infringed on Sowore’s rights to freedom of movement, expression and peaceful civic engagement.

Justice Kakaki further held the Inspector-General of Police vicariously liable for the conduct of the Lagos Commissioner of Police, noting that the violations warranted strong judicial sanction.

Consequently, the court awarded N30 million in damages against the two senior police officers.

Reacting to the verdict, Sowore’s lawyer, Tope Temokun, described the ruling as a landmark affirmation of constitutional democracy and the rule of law.

He said the judgment sends a clear signal that state power must not be used to intimidate or silence citizens.

According to him, the decision represents a wider victory for Nigerians, reinforcing the principle that civil liberties and lawful dissent must be protected against arbitrary state action.

Source: https://dailypost.ng/2026/02/20/court-awards-n30m-damages-to-sowore-over-unlawful-wanted-declaration-by-police/

This is good news.

Congrats to sowore.

If we have like 2 of this guy in each geo political zone, Nigeria will be better for it.

DoWhatThouWilt:
Source: https://dailypost.ng/2026/02/20/court-awards-n30m-damages-to-sowore-over-unlawful-wanted-declaration-by-police/

Great one from the Judiciary

Last hope of the common man has done it again

Lol they messed with the wrong fella...
Sowore right now....

All these big money they always call in Nigerian court, do they actually pay?

Will those thieves on black khaki pay.

Hmm. This life ehn. If you get am you get am. This man is star boy.

Who's paying that? @ asking 4 someone

Good decision to be honest

Sowore teaching them that not every toe can be stepped on

Sowore ni seh

Ori elegan lobaje

They just dey dash this man money. Lol

saphiere:
All these big money they always call in Nigerian court, do they actually pay?

No to most,
Where police wan see that money?

Data boys don run away 🏃🏃🏃🏃🏃🏃

Especially the moronic one!

saphiere:
All these big money they always call in Nigerian court, do they actually pay?

Who exactly will pay? 3 more characters can't even pay.

Lol

Sowore using Nigeria police and Nigerian government to play the same way a cat will play with a mice.

He sure has some support from some influential and powerful quarters

Too much money...sure dem no go pay

AmishaCandra:
Lol they messed with the wrong fella...
Sowore right now....

MCU has watered down thanos, turn him to a pink abi purple alien who's powers are in his trinkets

Still on the mata, na that Judge be the MVP, more of his type we countri go better

agbero union members nairaland branch eyeing this topic without any comment yet.yarimo is doing a great job

The current Inspector General of Police is obviously the worst in this country’s history.

That police officer is obviously a knuckle head, big cranium but little opolo inside, rather half baked, now he has cost himself, his Oga and the whole force 40m.

A country where the judiciary works! This can never happen in Nigeria

They better give him his money if not... Na dat 30m sowore go sing for d next 10 yrs

AmishaCandra:
Lol they messed with the wrong fella...
Sowore right now....

You don't how it works, do you?

They called him wanted, he won the case, great

He called the president criminal, so what do you think will happen to that case

Don't shout and wail when the time comes.

Remember, Nnamdi Kanu is eating his own beans in Sokoto.


@CityBoyMovement
#CityBoyMovement

Tinubu till 2031.

The money that the police is to pay, they will still be asking for their cut.

Sowore don cash out. Good one.

Shey na 50-50 naira dem wan tek gather this money? Abi na our money dem go use pay?

DoWhatThouWilt:
This is good news.

Congrats to sowore.

Lol... He won't see a dime of that money.

Odima4:
Nobody will pay a dime, it's Nigeria

They will appeal and go through the process, it will take time but to say nobody will pay a dime is inaccurate.
Baba don't let someone get judgement on you ohh, if the person is determined to collect, Oga you will pay one way other the other unless one is destitute and without property, accounts or physical assets